January 26, 2012, Note from 'SandBox Nanny':
(Now that DA Beeson has thrown his hat in the ring for district attorney in the 9th, please take note that there will be no special treatment given to any news press surrounding his race. His articles, if they are SandBox worthy or chosen in the daily agg run-up; will be put up just like anyone else in a political race. What SandBox Commentators will continue to do, is heavily moderate his articles. We are the only news media that provides the courtesty of moderating commentary from the general public on 9th Judicial District and Mr. Beeson's articles. )
Tom Silverman:
"Martin Beeson has announced his candidacy for a third term as district attorney for the 9th Judicial District while calling it a second term to avoid term limits.
In doing so he put a bizarre twist on the familiar campaign shout of “Four more years!” to “Four-hundred more years!” by bragging that he had obtained that many years in sentences to prison.
Third terms are plainly prohibited by the Colorado Constitution he has taken an oath to defend.
Article XVIII, section 11 states “… no non-judicial [elected] official … shall serve more than two consecutive terms in office …” DAs included.
Beeson finishes his second consecutive term this year.
The end result of his interpretation allows serving about 11 years instead of a maximum of eight. His interpretation is part of the arrogance of power the amendment was trying to avoid.
My objection to his candidacy isn’t focused on the term-limits issue though. My objection to his being DA is that he’s just so darn bad at it.
No respectable prosecutor would bathe in the mud of claiming pride in having obtained 400 years of sentences for people he prosecuted. It ignores the function of the prosecutor to make that boast.
This “count the years” measure of prosecutorial success has serious flaws.
A prosecutor’s job is to do justice and do it within the rules. If a byproduct of that includes long sentences for people who deserve it, so be it, but it’s not like notches on a gun belt in the Old West...."
(Read more? Click title)
"Unapologetically pursuing and tracking patterns within the news others make since 2010."
5 comments:
Has it been 8 years? I agree that voters need to make those 8 years Martin Beeson's last in office.
There is never an appropriate time for white hat wearing and belt notching. Not with law enforcement, prosecution, defense or our judges.
Unfortunately, I am reminded of a comment made months ago by someone on this forum that spoke to the environment of our judicial district under Beeson: "the locker room next door to the gambling hall".
In looking back over his tenure there are many gaping holes that are completely lacking in accountability.
Mr. Beeson is the first to send his flaming manifestos to the local newspapers and to the population when he is on the stump.
Yet, when specifically asked to bring forward accountability for over-reach, pursuit of cases that should never see prosecution based on little evidence and copious amounts of speculation, queries into how much has been spent pursuing those types of cases and obvious inappropriate behaviors from his staff; Martin Beeson proves himself the master of the dodge.
It is up to our legal community to bring forward a choice for the district.
All signs point to whoever does step up, Democrat or Republican, their win will be a landslide victory.
Our legal community would have all the help they need if they would bring the information that's needed forward to the voters.
Martin Beeson has had 8 years to be accountable with factual answers when asked to be transparent on cases and costs. He's not going to do that. Has made it very clear that he believes he is above the job and will not.
For our local attorneys to want anonymity because they know there will be repurcussions from Beeson isn't new news. The entire district feels that way, including some cops but especially the folks. But it is our local attorneys who hold responsibility to bring the facts forward to voters. It's not the responsibility of the voters to dig to find those facts and transparency. If we even could.
We need to see the statistical information that backs up all that Silverman is saying, not that he isn't believed. He is. Campaigns against bullies and dug-in cronies in the good old boys club in 9th district are won by battling with facts they can't deny. Give us cost numbers for cases and what you can on statistics with filings and rulings. Those are the facts that will help beat Martin Beeson, he can't win with the record he has. As for the bully part of what he's bringing to the table in this election that's easy to win against. Just stand him down and don't tolerate it. I'll send a call out to Tom Silverman for standing up today. It's appreciated.
Bring out into the public eye what the cost per case has been. From what the gossip has been that's floated around for his entire 8 yrs. is that the cases that DON"T have problems with Beeson's following the rules and procedures is rare. Heard from a local lawyer friend about a year ago that the lawyer community estimates 80% or better of all cases that run through Beeson's hands have violated the rules. In other words, violated the law. Yet it's always others fault. This is the kind of district attorney that harms public safety if that's the case. What bothers me the most about his personality and approach is that he rides the back of the real white hats. Our cops. Silverman's call to anyone to step up is a good one. Voters do not want Martin Beeson and that includes conservative voters.
The time has come for Martin Beeson to run on his true merit.
Merit that my friend and colleague Tom Silverman, has summarized in a very succinct manner.
If 32 years has gone by without a true horse race for 9th Judicial District Attorney, may that dry spell come to an end now.
How about that bragging by Jerry Bovino in the Daily the other day? That nobody will run against Beeson because they're afraid of his great record. At same time touting up what a humble servant to the folks Beeson supposedly is. wow, now that's major humble, isn't it? Silverman's right.
The DA speaks with two sides to his mouth and has a lot of something marketing that to the folks as a stump positive. It's not.
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